Effect of psychological nursing intervention on anxiety level and quality of life in patients with gastrointestinal peptic ulcer

BACKGROUND Peptic ulcer is a common gastrointestinal disease, and psychological intervention has an important influence on its occurrence and development. AIM To investigate the effect of psychological nursing intervention on the anxiety level and quality of life of patients with gastrointestinal peptic ulcers. METHODS Two groups of patients with peptic ulcer were selected from January to December 2012, with 60 cases in each group, and psychological nursing intervention and routine treatment were respectively performed. Psychological nursing interventions include cognitive behavioral therapy, psychological support and relaxation training. Self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and quality of life questionnaire were used to evaluate the anxiety level and quality of life of patients before, during and after treatment. RESULTS The SAS scores of the experimental group significantly decreased over the course of treatment, from 52.3 before treatment to 30.5 after treatment, while SAS scores of the control group did not change significantly. Meanwhile, the experimental group's quality of life score (SF-36) significantly improved over the course of treatment, from 65.2 to 85.2, while the control group remained stable. Further analysis showed that sex and age had no significant influence on the effect of psychotherapy. Both men and women, young and old, showed similar trends in anxiety relief and improved quality of life after treatment. CONCLUSION Psychological nursing-based intervention program has a positive effect on the anxiety level and quality of life of patients with gastrointestinal peptic ulcer.